Planoqrapm co



Patented July 29, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CLARENCE L. HAIR, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AUTO SPECIALTIES MANUFACTURING CO., 01? ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF CALL 1 FORNIA.

VEHICLE BOW rror HOLDER.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed February 21, 1917. Serial No. 150,068.

To all who'mz't may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. BAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a certain 'new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Bow Top Holders, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle bow top holders now injcommon use, one form of which is shown in my prior Patent Number The object of'this invention is to provide such a bow holder with a novel meals of attaching the rubber cushion to the metal of the bow, and at the same time affording invisible metallic reinforcement for the'lifts j in the rubber cushion, preferably making said lifts adjustable lengthwise of the metallic body of the bow holder to accommodate rubber cushions having different spaced lifts. A further object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the locking link from slipping too far down the stock so that it cannot be broken; 7

' The invention'consists in a device capable of carrying out the foregoing objects, which can be easily and cheaply made, which is satisfactory in operation and not readily liable to get out of order. It further consists in the features-and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims. 1

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the same parts through- Figure 1 is a front, and f Fig. 2 a side view of mechanism illustrating this invention in its preferred form, the

parts thereof bemg'in closed position or in that position which they will assume when embracing the bows of a vehicle top. I

Fig. '3 is a changed position view of the device of Fig. 1, showing the bow holder open ready to admit the bows of the vehicle top.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail plan view on the line 4 of Fig. 1.

"Fig. 5 is a sectional detail plan view on the line 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6is'a sectional detail front view on the line f Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 'is a perspective view of a detachable metallic lift support.

As is well understood in the art, the how 20 under the of metallic brace members 30,wh1ch areof separator itself comprises a stock member 10 having pivoted to it at 12 a swinging arm 14 securable at its top to'the stock by the mechanism hereafter l described, there being between the stock and arm an elongated space 16 within which the bows (not shown) of the topof the vehicle to which the device v is applied are adapted, when folded down, to rest and be. secured by the device against umping, rubbingand chafing; The holder is detachably securable to the vehicle body by themechanism 18, or any other suitable mechanism for the purpose, the same forming no part of the invention of this application, and therefore, notdescribed in detail. 1

i-Modern practice requires that the arm 14 be lined Wlth arubber cushion 20, and that this rubber cushionbe' provided' alo'ng'its length with one or more bow lifts 22 adapted as the arm; 14 is elosedf to lift the adj acent bow of the top into concave recess 23 which is the real bow separator. One problem of 'thls nvention is to provide-meansfor readily attaching this 'rubbercushion member '20 to the arm 14 in such'a-wa-y it canbe readily detached-for repair or replacemenuand to provide means for reinforcing'with an inlatter'incombination with means whereby visible metal support the rubber lifts 22; this the reinforcing means are adjustabletorubber cushionshaving-diflerently spaced lifts 22 to accommodate diii'erent'sizesof vehicle topbows. I

The first part of this problem just described is solved by constructing the' arm 14 with a longitudinal recessor chamber 24 extending alongthe arm 14 as far as any rubber cushion 20 is required, access to :this

chamber being had through an-elongated slot 26 of less width than the chamber, opening towardthe space 16, heretofore referred to, j and by correspondingly constructing the rubber cushion-20 with a longitudinally extending rib 28 of-a shape to, as shown in F1g.

4, be pressed through the slot 26 and into the chamber 24, thus retaining the rubber cushion 20 against the arm 14 throughout the entire length of the rubber cushlo-n. I

The second part of the problem is solved by recessing therearsurface of the cushion lifts 22' for the insertion therein such asize and'shape that they are entirely concealed Within the l1fts22. The 111cmtion. 1

bers *are supported upon elongated but ton members 32 of such a size and shape that they may be passed through the slot '26 "in the-arm '14' -a'nd-then given a quarter turn into the position of 'Figs. 5 and 6 Where they obviously prevent removal of thedevice-30, 32 from the arm, The fit of these button members'32 inchaniber 24' is such that the supports 30 may be moved ,longitudinallyof the arm as may be required to bring them in cqengagem nt w li'i c ent -yi positioned ibo-w -litts Q2 1 differcntcushions 20. r i- If only rubbercushions 20 with lifts 22 sp aced ,in, one definite relation are ,to be @used the bow holder, the reinforcing metallic members 30 may begcasjt integral. with the r or without departing fromathis invenlnassemblingthe parts, the-operator takes the arm 14: withwthez netallicme nbers -30 therefor. and,.-if they are adj ustable as 'Flast i di ated; movesfithem -to h prop pos tion to receive the cushion 20. He now places tfiljllGeCllShiOH 20 adjacent to \the arm withtheliftsQQ aof -the cushion over themetallic members 30 and, by applying pressure, forces -the enlarged 28 ,of ,the cushi n 2 thrcug t o 2 i to the chamber QAmIltilthe ipart'si assume the nor.- analpositionsh0wn the drawing. i The locking =mechanis-m for; securing; the arm 14-5130 the stock "10 comprises a lever "134 {pivoted at 36 and provided with a link -38- which embraces aspecially formed ;i1pper 1 end-jPQrtionAO {of stock 10. T-helseeond. generalgobject, of the :invention is accomplished "by? making this ile ver member 314; essentially of two parallel-members142,;adapted, when the zdevice isinthe-positionvof Figs. 1 and 2, tolie closely upon the; sides =of;-the a-rm 14 instead. of: directly upon the back of it as :=h'a's heretofore been the practice, i-ithese two -me mbers- 42 being merely connected, together for unity by a relatively thin bandAA across their imidd'le'portion and ,,-'a.. fiat,-thin hand 1&6 at their ends, connecting the usualfinger holds 448,- .By this construction the lever closely. ;conforms to the back of the-arm 14 and not so likely,- to beiin the Eway and havethings catchupon it asjwithdevices ofthis character in :theprior art.

:As' is made cleartbyvthe foregoing. .spe ci- @fication', the stock lO i is--fixed,while the arm 14 carrying itl16 106ki1ig mechanism, swings with reference thereto, the link :38" passing ever-and locking in notch or bearing 52 upon 7 iaifspecia'lly -;formedw upper end portion 40 of stock &0; :said ,notch opening rear- Wardly OfJthB @stock, as shown. i'I-he1lever membe'r 34 operated on fulcrum point or :pivot 36-creates .a'povwerful pressure upon the link 38 to stretch it .andthus hold the stock and armtogether.- -Asthe=parts are all of meta1,it is essential, in order to avoid breaking of the link 88, that all the parts entirely concealed within said cushion ,ma-

--j,a cent;;tjo-the arm, there-being on said cushmaybe selectively applied to therarm.

be in proper position, shown in Fig. 1, when this stretching operation takes place. As the link 36i's made ofparallel bars, as shown -'(-see F-ig. 2-)-, somewhat wider than the normal thickness of the stock-$0, there is cl'anger,'"under ordinary conditions, of the link 38 slipping downward on the stock 10 "to a'point, say, 50, instead of restin-g'in the notch52, formed inithe member 40, heretofore described, and if the link 38 should so drop down toSOand-then closingpressure ,be exerted on ,the; lever St, ,the. link 38. would be unduly strained, withthe result of breakingieither the link 38 or -lever 34-. or attached parts." This difficulty is overcome by placingon-at'least one. side. of the stock 10, preferably. on both, a projecting stop member 5,4 of sufficient length as to always -engage,-the "l'i'll'k3'lllfil1l'b6l'i38 andeftectually prevent any p rtct he l nkimor-ingi own the bea yQIlLgtIhl'S stop, or -thepair o-f stops'if they are on both sides. l

The described advantages. of using ;the member 54: as arc-stop gto prevent the descent of member are fully set forth, described, and claimed in? my divisional application fiefrialtNo- 303,354. vt

1,05 terial, for the purposes set forth. .a

W 21i A relatively narrow and glongtarm, rigid support members projecting from the 7 arm, and afstrip Zof cushion material fidion material bow lifts which are recessed so as to be internally supported by said projecting. members on the arm, and interdock-i-ngfip arts on- {the arm and -cushion materrfial' between the. bow lifts securing }th e ,l15 .cushiongto-thearm'.. T

3. Inade'vic'e v.ofthe QM-Sis described, a

rigid arm, a strip of cushion mjaterialextending along and attached to said arm, bow

lifts 00f acush-ion lmaterial projecting from 12 the cushion at points intermediatebf its :length away from the arm, non-compressible supports rising from the arm passing through the body-of the cushion proper and into the bow lifts thereon, and-tmeans adrgustably mounting aileron-compressible supports at different points alongthe length of; the arm whereby strips of cushion material with difierently spaced bow liftsthereon 4. In a device of the class described, a rigid arm, a strip of cushion material extendingi'along and attached to said arm, bow lifts of cushion material projecting from the cushion at points intermediate of its length away from the arm, non-compressible supports" rising from the arm passing through the body of the cushion proper and into the bow lifts thereon, and means adjustably mounting the non-compressible supports at difl'erent points along the length of the arm whereby strips of cushion material with differently spaced bow lifts thereon may be selectively applied to the arm, the

attaching means for both the cushion and nonecompressible supports comprising suitably formed parts thereon respectively entering an elongated slot, in the face of the rigid arm, opening into a Wider elongated recess extending along the length of the arm.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE L. BAIR.

copies of this pstentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

1 Washington, D. 0." 

